Volunteers week 2026
Hello, I'm Lauren, the Volunteer Engagement Officer for Kirklees Museums and Galleries. This week is National Volunteers' Week, which is celebrated across the UK during the first week of June each year.
Volunteers' Week is an opportunity for organisations across the country to recognise, thank, and celebrate the incredible contribution volunteers make to our communities.
So here at Kirklees Museums Service, we want to say a huge thank you to all of our amazing volunteers! And not just this week, but every week that they offer their time, energy, knowledge and skills to help preserve and share the stories and heritage of our local communities.
Whether it's helping to look after our collections, guiding tours and sharing histories in our museums, helping us to maintain our historic gardens and parkland, or inspiring children with engaging activities on school visits, each and every one of our volunteers is valued and appreciated. Thank you so much for your dedication, commitment, and continued support.
But don't just take it from me take it from our curators:
'I'm so grateful for our collections volunteers! I don't know where we'd be without their hours of cataloguing and research, quietly ticking away in the background. I've learnt so much from their subject knowledge and careful practice and find that days spent with the volunteer team are my favourite days of the week.' - Katie, Assistant Curator
And to celebrate the week (and maybe inspire more people to think about volunteering too) we asked some of our volunteers a few questions about why they volunteer and what they gain from it. You can find out what they had to say below.
Charlie
What is your volunteer role within Kirklees Museums and Galleries?
I am a Volunteer Collections Assistant, so I basically help the Assistant Curator deal with the backlog of items in the collections by photographing them, repackaging them, and making sure they are all put on our digital cataloguing software for the future generations to enjoy.
How long have you been volunteering with us?
I started volunteering with Kirklees Museums & Galleries in February 2023.
What motivated you to join Kirklees Museums as a volunteer?
I wanted to get experience in a museum as I planned to work in museums in the future, the following year I began volunteering I started my master's degree in Museum Studies with the University of Leeds (I remained as a volunteer here throughout my studies).
Do you have a favourite object from one of the museums or museum site?
My favourite object is the door that used to be kept on the Huddersfield Cloth Hall which is kept in Tolson's stores. It has a special place in my heart as my dissertation had a large focus on the Huddersfield Cloth Hall. If I had to pick something on display, I always enjoyed looking at the bird collection at Tolson just because it is now also a historical collection having been with the museum for 100 years.
What have you gained from volunteering with us?
I have gained a new appreciation and understanding of museums that I never would have got just from my degree. I have also acquired a new knowledge and (slight) appreciation of archaeology having catalogued hundreds of archaeological items including the entire J.L. Turner Collection. I also feel as though I have met some brilliant and kind people at the museum.
What would you say to anyone thinking about volunteering?
I would tell them that if they are already thinking about it then they should do it. There is something for everyone to do and with a place like Kirklees if you go into collections as I have there is bound to be something that needs doing that interests you, plus you can get some nice discounts on visiting other museums in the north which is also a bonus!
Joan
What is your volunteer role within Kirklees Museums and Galleries?
Public Engagement Volunteer.
How long have you been volunteering with us?
Since 2017.
What motivated you to join Kirklees Museums as a volunteer?
Retirement and desire to volunteer in heritage sector.
Do you have a favourite object from one of the museums or museum site?
I love Tolson and the artefacts inside. Also love the details of its past first as a house, then museum.
What have you gained from volunteering with us?
Friendship and a joy to be giving back to Kirklees (I have lived in Huddersfield since 1989).
What would you say to anyone thinking about volunteering?
Don't delay and get involved now!
Christine
What is your volunteer role within Kirklees Museums and Galleries?
Public Engagement Volunteer.
How long have you been volunteering with us?
2017.
What motivated you to join Kirklees Museums as a volunteer?
The project that I was involved in was completed, and I had half a day per week available when I received an invitation to consider volunteering for the Museum Service, and I thought "Why not".
Do you have a favourite object from one of the museums or museum site?
The Half Animals at Tolson.
What have you gained from volunteering with us?
The knowledge about the museum buildings, and getting to know like-minded people.
What would you say to anyone thinking about volunteering?
Go for it! You are not tied and can do as little or as much as you want.
Joanne
What is your volunteer role within Kirklees Museums and Galleries?
I work with educational facilitators to deliver school visits about the Egyptians at Bagshaw Museum and Tudors at Oakwell Hall. In addition, I help out where I can with other workshops, such as making Christmas wreaths with the Park Rangers. I am also helping to digitally archive Oakwell Hall's collection of photographs.
How long have you been volunteering with us?
I have been volunteering for just over 12 months.
What motivated you to join Kirklees Museums as a volunteer?
I retired early from my post as Deputy Headteacher in a local primary school after a previous career in public relations and wanted to use the skills I already had to do something useful and fun.
Do you have a favourite object from one of the museums or museum site?
My favourite object in the collections is a beautiful small alabaster pot, together with its fragile lid, which still contains black kohl used by an Ancient Egyptian to make up their eyes. How fantastic is that?
What have you gained from volunteering with us?
I have met some amazing and knowledgeable people, becoming good friends and learn so much from them about the past. It never stops! I get to go behind the scenes in our museums which really satisfies my curiosity about what's behind closed doors.
What would you say to anyone thinking about volunteering?
Go for it. If you enjoy history, your enthusiasm is all you need. Everyone is so helpful and only too willing to pass on their expertise and experience. You get so much in return from giving your time.
